I agree, CJ and Dame are total bros. I hope this doesn't become one of those things where they start pandering to Dame's every request, only for him to bolt when the end results are not as great. *cough*LaMarcus*cough* But I have hope that both sides are smarter than that.
I wouldn't say there is "no buzz anywhere". http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/239820/Nets-Making-Exploratory-Calls-On-Possible-Trades Granted, it's unlikely, but not impossible. The NBA rules do prevent us trading our pick for the next 3 years, but there are ways around that. (Portland could get a pick from another team or alter the protections going to Denver (with their permission))
Hell, if anything that article expels this "Brook Lopez rumor" because it quotes Billy King as saying that he doesnt expect anything drastic. I would be interested in Joe Johnson though, with the thinking we can make a push towards the playoffs. We'd save them $20M and get a bench scorer. Then we could make a push for a star at the deadline and still have the depth to compete in a playoff series.
I suspect it would take a few players more than whats the initial offering in the OP, but I would be happy with that. As long as CJ and Damian aren't included. There are issues. Can Brook stay healthy? Why would the Nets give up on him after basically 2 months of play this season after re-signing him?
Because players never improve. Because CJ was a lost cause a year ago. Because people wanted to straight up CUT Meyers a year ago. Because no one though Curry could play adequate defense 3 years ago. Because LMA could never learn how to post up. (He forgot again, but the point is he learned! - for awhile) Etc. Etc. I'm only listing some examples off the top of my head, but I'm sure there's much more.
Defense is predicated so much on effort, but also on foot speed, strength, and size in a lot of ways. You can't learn size. You can get stronger, but foot speed is also something that is hard to improve. I actually think Dame could be a decent defender, but the effort needs to be there.
So we're on the same page then? I mean yeah, the CJ/Dame backcourt is going to get ripped this season. But the hope is they work themselves into adequate later on.
I guess it just depends on whether you subscribe to the stereotypical shooting guard size and length. Does your shooting guard need to be 6'5-6'6? Wes wasn't especially long, but he was tenacious and strong. CJ and Dame are roughly the same size.
CJ has longer arms and is better at getting through picks. I remember him being much more active on defense last year, he was pretty good at getting steals as well. I think he's expending too much energy on offense this year, because he's looked lazy. He's also constantly losing shooters, but that's something that is easily fixed.
Ima go crazy for a second.. POR gets: Paul George, Demarcus Cousins, Joseph Young, SAC gets: CJ McCollum, Moe Harkless, JJ Hickson, 2018, 2020, 2022 first round picks (POR) DEN gets: Noah Vonleh, Pat Connaughton, IND gets: Ben McLemore, Meyers Leonard, Moe Harkless, Mason Plumlee, 2016 first (POR via DEN), 2018 first (DEN) Lillard (37) / Young (11) / Frazier Crabbe (24) / Henderson (24) George (36) / Aminu (28) / Montero Davis (28) / Alexander Cousins (36) / Kaman (16) Then we have about $20M in cap space for the summer That was fun
CJ is a taller, slower version of Mo Williams...he's probably never going to be much of a defender but he's a guy who can rack up points in bunches and his defense is better against less talented guards. Somebody has to take on the Nico role of guarding Chris Paul or Russel Westbrook...like Aminu, Crabbe or Harkless....I'm hoping Gerald Henderson will be the missing 2 guard piece we need and CJ becomes the true 6 man he is suited to be
He at least tries. I was watching the clips of Reggie Jackson going off against us, and Dame was on him for the first three shots. Dame just looked lazy. He wasn't really trying to stop him. After that they moved CJ onto Jackson and he just made CJ look bad. CJ was trying to stay with him, but Jackson was just torching him. At least he was trying.
So, which half of Harkless goes to Sacramento, and which goes to Indy? Are you splitting him at the waist, or nose to nuts?
